Hopes And Fears
by EdwardsSoul101
Summary: Maya mysteriously arrives at Phoenix’s door just after AJ:AA/GS4. Phoenix hasn’t seen her for seven years; what’s the cause of her sudden appearance? PhoenixMaya.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_A/N:__ Maya mysteriously arrives at Phoenix's door just after AJ:AA/GS4. Phoenix hasn't seen her for seven years; what's the cause of her sudden appearance? PhoenixMaya. Maya's POV. (The title is also the name of an album by Keane, but that's irrelevant to the story.)_

_The song for this chapter is:__ Running Away – The Polyphonic Spree._

My hand was shaking more than it had in years. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been this nervous. I supposed it was due to the fact that whatever was behind this door was all I had left. Well, except for Pearly, of course, who was waiting for me just around the corner.

And hope. I apparently had a surplus of that.

What I was lacking, however, was courage. I almost backed out there and then. Later on, I almost wished I had. But I eventually went for it. I brought up my hand and rapped four times quickly on the familiar door in front of me.

I counted the seconds in my head as they went by. _One, two, three…_

By the time I got to _forty_, I was about ready to leave. I was stupid for putting all my hope on--

My thought process was interrupted by the door suddenly rattling open in front of me. In the space where the door had stood was a bubbly-looking girl in a blue top hat and cape shining brightly at me.

"Can I help you?" she greeted me cheerily. I was a little stunned by her forwardness. She couldn't have been older than sixteen.

"Uh, yes," I answered timidly. "I'm looking for Nick?" My statement came out like a question.

The girl paused for a moment, thinking. I suddenly realised that no-one probably called him 'Nick' anymore. "Sorry, I mean, Mr Wright. I need to find Mr Wright."

The girl answered quickly this time, a look of recognition on her face. "Oh, you mean Daddy."

"I-- Umm, no, I don't think that's the same person… Don't worry…" I stuttered, before turning around and leaving. I realised how rude I must have seemed, so called up to the girl from halfway down the steps, "Thanks for your help!"

I almost ran away from the office I had once almost considered 'home'. _It must have been someone else_, I kept chanting over and over in my head. Phoenix Wright, a man who was an only child and also had only had one girlfriend in his life as far as I knew, could _not_ have a daughter.

I thought this so many times that I convinced myself it was true. Well, almost. I still had my doubts.

I mean, how coincidental does something have to be before you believe it's not a coincidence after all?

The office was still the same, location-wise at least. A Mr Wright still lived there. Not to mention, what reason did Nick have to leave his office? From all I'd heard, his career in law was still going strong, and he still had friends in this town.

But there was still a major obstacle I just couldn't get over.

A _daughter_? Really?

It was impossible. There was _no way_ that it was the same Mr Wright as the one I knew who owned that office now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_The song for this chapter is:__ Little Miss Lost And Found – Orson._

I eventually came to the conclusion that it wasn't _completely_ impossible for Nick to still work in that office.

To avoid humiliating myself further (and probably scaring that poor girl I met before out of her mind), I decided to call for backup.

Backup being, of course, my cousin and best friend of at least seven years, Pearl Fey.

She wasn't exactly thrilled at the concept of being used as an investigatory device, but after I'd explained the entire situation to her, she accepted that I had no other choice.

I practically pushed her up the steps, then ran around the corner to hide. She had promised to call me once she knew for sure what was going on.

I crossed my fingers and wished. I didn't really know what I was wishing _for_; I really hoped I could find Nick, and him still being at this office was really the only way that would happen. On the other hand, I was terrified at the concept of meeting him again, let alone his _daughter_.

I kept my fingers crossed all the same, and waited for news from Pearly.

* * *

**Pearl's POV**

I could hardly believe I had agreed to do this. If it was anyone but Mystic Maya, I would have declined immediately. I mean, it could be _so_ embarrassing! Imagine going up to a door you haven't entered in over half a decade and asking if the same person still lives there. It's just so unlikely!

But, when I saw the look in Mystic Maya's eyes, like whoever was behind this door was her last hope in the world (which it kind of was), I couldn't say no. Not to mention she's more than just a relation to me. She's my best friend.

So, I walked slowly up to the door, ready to be severely humiliated. I really had to force myself to knock on the door, and even when I did, it was so timid I doubt anyone even heard the sound it made. I knocked again, more confidently this time. Almost immediately, the door opened swiftly onto a girl, about my age, who looked rather excited.

"Wow, two visitors in one day!" she exclaimed, and I had to doubt her sanity a little. My eyes shifted from her face to the utter mess behind her and back. Maybe I didn't want to go in here after all. She girl interrupted my thoughts. "Welcome to Wright Anything Agency. Can I help you?"

I opened my mouth to reply when she cut in. "Oh, you have the same outfit as the pretty lady from before. Are you two friends?" She seemed awfully naïve for someone as old as me.

"Uh, yes, that's why I'm here actually," I said quickly before she could start talking again. "I'm looking for Mr Phoenix Wright." I made sure to say his full name so I could get a straight answer.

The girl didn't even pause before answering me. "Wait right here," she said with a wink. She left the door open and stepped back a few paces into the office. She looked to her left, down a short hall.

"DADDYYYY!!"

The girl yelled louder than I would have thought possible for such a small person. Well, comparatively, she was around the same height as me, but neither of us were much over five foot. I recoiled a little at the volume of her voice. She turned back and smiled at me.

"He'll just be a minute. Please, come in," she offered, clearing a space on the sofa so I could sit down. I hesitated for a moment in the doorway.

"Come on," the girl encouraged me. "I don't bite!" I laughed, a little nervously, but entered anyway. I suddenly realised something.

"Oh, you must think I'm so rude… My name's Pearl," I greeted, offering the girl my hand to shake.

"I don't think you're rude at all!" the girl said quickly, taking my hand in hers and shaking it vigorously. "I'm Trucy."

_Trucy Wright_, I put together in my head. It had a certain ring to it.

"So, how old are you?" Trucy asked. Even though I had only just met her, I didn't find her intrusive. Her bubbly personality softened everything a little.

"Sixteen," I told her. I was seventeen later this year, actually. "You?"

"I'm fifteen," she replied, smiling. "Daddy says it's the best age to be. _Mature enough to get along on your own, immature enough to be stress-free_," she recited in a growly voice. I giggled, noticing the man who had now appeared behind Trucy.

"Don't make fun of your old man, Trucy," he said, perfectly sincere. Trucy just laughed in retaliation. I could tell she didn't take her father seriously.

I looked at the man intently, firstly trying to find out if it really _was_ Mr Nick, but also checking for Psyche-Locks and other such things. You could never be too careful.

After a few long seconds of looking him up and down, I came to the conclusion that the shabby, aged, stooped, rough-faced man in front of me _had_ to be Phoenix Wright. Nobody else had those dazzling, truth-seeing blue eyes like him. I also found that while he seemed fairly open and friendly (if not a little passive) from the outside, his heart was locked down. No-one had seen the part of him Mystic Maya and I knew for a long time.

Both Trucy and Nick noticed me staring, but made nothing of it. I had a feeling this was a habit that both of them kept to as well. Once I was sure I had seen all there was to see for now, I took a step forward.

"Mr Nick. It's great to see you again," I said with a shy smile. He walked forward too, and held my hand out for him to shake. I took it a little gingerly.

"It's great to see you too, Pearls," he greeted, using my old nickname. "Where've you been all these years?" He raised his eyebrows at me under his blue hat.

"Oh, here and there," I said vaguely, letting go of his hand. "Kurain, mostly. But it gets boring after a while. Mystic Maya and I decided to branch out a bit."

His eyes widened at the sound of his old friend's name. "How is Maya?" he said, changing the subject very quickly. I didn't mind.

"She's… been better," I hedged. "Actually, she's in the city today. I'm sure she'd love to see you again." I was pretty sure I had failed at making it sound like a coincidence that on the same day as I had randomly decided to come and visit Wright & Co. Law Offices, Mystic Maya had also randomly decided to visit a city she hadn't been to in almost a decade.

"I sure would love to see her, too," he said with a small smile. "You can give her a call if you want." He gestured towards a phone on his office desk, partially buried under takeaway boxes and receipts.

"Thanks," I said, a little sheepish. He saw right through me. I bet he would call Mystic Maya out on it as soon as she got here. I hastily pressed in the number of her cell phone and she picked up after the first ring.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 (Back to Maya's POV)

**Chapter 3 (Back to Maya's POV)**

_The song for this chapter is:__ All These Things That I've Done – The Killers._

I couldn't believe it. Yet, at the same time, I _had_ to.

I had a witness; not just any witness, but my own cousin, who was more like a guardian angel to me these days. She was the most trustworthy person I knew.

I had my evidence. Well, I didn't technically _have_ any, but the evidence was certainly there. Pearl was with it right now, guarding it for me. Keeping it safe.

All I needed was solid proof. To gain this proof, I needed to see it for myself. And so, that's what I was doing.

For the second time that day, I walked up the stairs to the door I knew so well. Before I even had the chance to knock, the door opened and Pearly stood behind. I smiled shyly at her, admittedly nervous about what I would find inside the "office".

She urged me inside, along with the girl who had opened the door to me earlier today, towards a worn sofa I remembered all too well. I hesitated for a moment before sitting on it, but when I did, I sank into it with a comfort I hadn't had in years and years. I sighed, and leaned further into the seat, closing my eyes. Just for a second.

--

I opened my eyes again groggily. I frowned into the looming darkness that was now hanging in the room. I had only meant to rest my eyes for a moment; had I fallen asleep? How long had I been out?

I sat up running a hand through my hair. _I must look a mess_. I glanced up, looking over the room I was in, and finding a man leaning in the hallway opposite me.

"Have a nice sleep?" a voice with a subtle yet almost smoky edge greeted me. My heart soared at the familiarity in the voice.

"Yes, thanks," I smiled. "I'd forgotten how comfortable that sofa was." The man grinned in response, and moved into the room. I motioned for him to sit down next to me. He politely declined, and sat instead in an office chair to my left.

"I've gotta say, I'm more than a little surprised to see you," he told me. I blushed.

"I know, it's been a while. I'm sorry," I said, looking down. I _did_ feel guilty about that.

"A while? Maya, it's been almost _seven years_!" he scoffed. "Don't be sorry, though; it's great to see you." I heard the smile in his voice and looked up to see it on his face.

I studied his face for a moment before saying anything more. There were so many features I recognised; the sharp angle of his nose, the curve of his chin, and the hint of dark hair poking out from under his hat. A lot of things about him were new, though. His startling blue eyes seemed to be set deeper than I remembered. His strangely curved eyebrows were hidden by that obscene hat. And there was some kind of expression on his face that I had never seen him carry before. Was it… Wisdom?

Cutting off my thought process, he chucked. He'd caught me blatantly staring at his face. I flushed a shade of red I hadn't turned since I was a teenager.

"Look, I have to ask… Maya, why are you here?" he asked me, more serious now. I grimaced; I knew this was coming, but it still made me sick with embarrassment to think of the reason why I was really here.

"I… Uh…" I stuttered, trying to think of a way to explain my situation that wouldn't either make me sound like a total loon or totally desperate. I soon came to the realisation that Phoenix would think I was both by the end of my explanation.

"Not that it isn't great to finally hear from you," he smiled, "but I get the feeling you have a… What's the phrase they always use? … _Ulterior motive_."

I sighed. I knew he'd figure me out pretty quickly, but I never knew he was this sharp. To be honest, he reminded me a little of Mr Edgeworth. I wondered briefly if the two of them were still in contact…

He coughed, gesturing for me to speak. I opened my mouth to oblige, then closed it again. After a few more seconds of goldfish impressions, I realised that even after all these years, Nick would never judge me. I mean, it's _Nick_.

"Actually, I kinda need a place to stay," I mumbled. "I don't expect you to put me up for free or anything, I'm not a charity case… But I had to get out of Kurain for a while. Things got complicated," I finished, the volume of my voice diminishing into nothing.

"Of course you can stay," he sympathetically replied. "I have no problem with both you and Pearls staying with me and Trucy, just as long as you can prove you're not psychopaths or something. It _has_ been a long time, after all," he grinned.

I returned his smile, raising the sleeve of my robe. "Don't worry, no _Dark Marks_ or anything here. We're safe."

He smiled crookedly at me, and I almost melted on the spot. I couldn't help but lean towards him--

And then I realised what I was thinking. What I was _doing_. I jumped up from my seat and looked around, flustered.

"Oh, where's Pearly?" I asked, the first thing that came into my head. I also realised that Pearl and Trucy had been absent this entire time.

"In the other room, watching _Steel Samurai_ re-runs," Phoenix enlightened me.

"Right… I probably should have guessed that," I said with a wink. _Did I seriously just wink at him_?! It was like I was a teenager again. I seemed to have absolutely no control over my actions. I decided to put it down to fatigue, even though I had apparently just had the world's longest nap…

"I think maybe I should sleep. It's been a long day," I told him, feigning a yawn. He ushered me into one of the rooms along the hall off the main office. I lowered myself into a bed smelling strongly of Phoenix where I laid for what seemed like eternity without sleep. _I would have to tell him my real reason for leaving Kurain soon._ I frowned to myself in the dark at the thought.

_A/N:__ Okay, I had to get a Harry Potter reference in there! Hahaha… For those of you who have lived under a rock long enough to have not read or seen the films of Harry Potter, a _Dark Mark_ is a symbol, shown on the forearm of Voldemort's closest followers, to show that they are Death Eaters. The symbol is like a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. Generally, it's evil. Wikipedia it or something._

_Just in case I'm confusing you: I'm almost certain this doesn't coincide with the series, but in this story, Phoenix's office and apartment are one and the same. Yeah, it's odd, but slightly less complicated? Gah._

_And also; thanks to everyone who reviewed, added alerts and favourites etc. 3_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_The song for this chapter is:__ Make This Go On Forever – Snow Patrol._

I woke up feeling more welcome than I had in a long time. Even though sun shone through the open window right into my eyes, I snuggled down into the covers comfortably, refusing to move just yet.

I inhaled slowly, taking in a scent that brought back so many memories. I grinned, forcing myself not to laugh out loud at some of them. My dreams last night had been of this origin as well. I had gladly reminisced of my time at Wright & Co. Law Offices, even if it was not consciously.

Another smell suddenly itched at my nose; it was fried eggs. Someone was making breakfast. Now, I'd never been a fan of eggs, but this morning they seemed to grate on me even more than normal. I sat straight up, holding my nose. The smell of them made me want to puke.

Not only that; the smell of them _did_ make me puke. I had to make a dash for the bathroom down the hall, tripping over various discarded objects in the hall on my way there. I breathed slowly and deeply (through my mouth, of course, to avoid the stench) after I had finished, and positioned on my hands and knees on the bathroom floor.

_I should have known this was coming_, I thought. I had been anticipating it for a short while, but it had still caught me unawares this morning.

After a few more minutes, I composed myself and walked through into the kitchen area, still holding my breath. Nick was there, wearing exactly the same outfit he had been wearing last night, hat and all, scooping eggs onto three plates for Pearly, Trucy and himself. He greeted me with a wide grin; I smiled weakly in return.

Pearl looked over her plate at me meaningfully before tucking into her breakfast. I nodded slowly and subtly, sending her a "secret message". _I'm fine_. She glared at me for a moment more, apparently choosing not to believe that statement, before eating her eggs with far more grace than Phoenix or his daughter did. I slid into a seat next to Nick; he radiated warmth.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked me with a mouthful of egg.

"Fine," I lied. I glanced over at the sofa, noticing the presence of a pillow and screwed-up blanket which had not been there last night. "Did you sleep out here?"

"Yeah," he answered me. "Don't worry about it. The sofa's longer than my bed anyways." I nodded half-heartedly.

"You don't look so good," Trucy noticed. Damn, if this girl was gonna be this observant forever she'd end up finding out things she didn't even want to know.

"It's nothing," I reassured her, and shot a look at Pearly while I was at it. "I'm naturally pale." Pearl snorted a laugh, then tried to cover it up by coughing.

A few moments of almost comfortable silence passed afterwards. I was glad that there as no (or at least, very little) awkwardness between Nick and I. Sure, there was a huge chunk of his life that I had missed, but I was planning on catching up on every minute of that in the time I spent here. Mainly how the hell he managed to acquire a daughter, especially one who was fifteen years old and therefore she would have been born long before I'd even met Nick. It seemed a little odd for us to have been great friends for three years and he'd never mentioned his own daughter.

Then again, he'd missed out on a lot in my life too. Upon realising this, I resolved that, even though he seemed to be less of a "talker" than he once had been, we should have a nice long talk. Without the girls, preferably. Maybe I could buy them a new box-set of _Pink Princess_…

My thought process was interrupted by Pearl nudging me painlessly yet forcefully under the table. I looked up at her.

"Mystic Maya and I will wash up," she volunteered us. I fought the urge to groan loudly. "Trucy, Mr Nick, why don't you two go watch some television?"

"She's only been here a day and she's running my household again…" Nick said with a wink in my direction. I giggled, while Pearly blushed. "And you can call me Nick, you know, Pearls."

She blushed deeper. "Habit," she muttered. I picked up some empty plates and took them over to the sink. Pearl turned the hot tap on full, spraying me with water a little in doing so.

She nudged me again, her elbow in my side this time. "Are you alright?" she whispered quickly. "And I want the honest answer, okay?"

Her determination scared me a little. "Really, I'm fine, Pearls." Her glare almost burned a hole right through me. "Well, I will be. I just feel a little queasy."

"Look, you have to tell me if you don't feel well. I can't take care of you if you won't tell me what's wrong," she said, squirting an unnecessary amount of washing-up liquid into the basin.

Now it was my turn to glare. "You're sixteen, Pearls. It's not your duty to look after me, nor is it anyone else's." I grabbed an unused-looking sponge and started to scrub.

"It's not _just you_ I have to look after, Maya." She wasn't even calling me _Mystic Maya_ then. She must have been really angry. I backed down a little.

"I know you're only trying to help," I said, sighing a little. "I promise I'll tell you if anything is really up, okay?" She nodded gently, apparently agreeing to compromise.

She'd washed and dried the majority of the items in the basin before I'd even done one. She took the plate I was holding from me and quickly but thoroughly polished it with a dishtowel. "And don't forget to tell Mr Nick soon."

"I know," I said, sighing again. "To be fair, there's a lot he hasn't told me, either."

"You don't know the half of it," she murmured. I don't think she meant for me to hear her. She continued, louder this time. "I'll try and make some space for the two of you to talk later. Take Trucy out shopping or something."

"I heard my name; what are you two whispering about?" Trucy called from a few meters away. Her curiosity reminded me of a younger Nick.

"Nothing much," Pearl said quickly. "Just trying to figure out how long we're going to be staying here."

"Come to a conclusion?" Phoenix chimed in. His eyes looked hopeful.

"Not yet," I said, truthfully. "You'll know as soon as we do." He seemed content with this and went back to his TV show.

_Later that day…_

True to her earlier plans, Pearl had in fact taken Trucy to the nearest supermarket. She'd given Phoenix some excuse about him not having the flavour of Pop Tarts she liked, and insisted on going to buy some before tomorrow morning.

"So," I began, curled up on Nick's sofa again while he sat comfortably next to me. "Been up to much in the past seven years?"

He shifted himself slightly so he was facing me. He looked very sincere. "You don't have to do that. You know, ask me about my life, hear a load of crap you're not really interested in… You can just ask me where the hell I got a daughter from. I don't mind." By the time he was finished, he couldn't help grinning. I returned the smile gladly.

"You know I've been wanting to ask you that for the past 30 hours, right?"

"Yeah, I know," he said, his smile fading a little. "Just so you know, everything I'm about to tell you, she already knows. No need to keep it a secret from her or anything."

"Right…" I muttered. Secrets, back again… There were far too many of those going around at the moment.

"You're probably going to be as relieved as I am to know this, but she's not my real daughter," he started. "Not my birth daughter, I mean. I adopted her." I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. He was right; I _was_ a little relieved, admittedly. There was something… _unknown_ about that girl.

He continued. "Her father was a magician, as you may or may not have guessed. A key member of the Troupe Gramarye, as it happens. Anyway, I was supposed to be defending him. I wasn't doing a very good job of it; in fact, I was getting pretty desperate. That was the first time I saw Trucy. She was there with her father, but she had another mission other than accompanying her dad. She gave me a sheet of paper which 'someone outside' had told her to give to 'the spiky-haired old boy in blue'." He chuckled at remembering this. "That sheet of paper turned out to be my lifeline for saving her father. I presented it in court, because although I had no idea of its reliability, I thought it was the only way." He sighed before going on. I was thoroughly entranced by his story. "I soon found out that the evidence was forged." I gasped loudly at the statement, leaving my mouth hanging open while he concluded. "However, before Trucy's father's guilty verdict could be passed, he vanished. I lost my lawyer's badge that day, and also gained a daughter."

I continued to stare, open-mouthed, at the man formerly known as Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney. I couldn't believe it; Phoenix, _Nick_, my best friend, stripped of his badge for a crime he didn't commit?

"Who was it?" I whispered. He knew what I was referring to.

"It doesn't matter anymore," he assured me. "The man who was the real culprit of forging that evidence has been punished for all his crimes now."

I felt relieved. "Well then, at least justice has been served," I said with a weak smile.

Phoenix laughed. "That reminds me, you haven't met Polly yet!"

"Polly?" I said, a little incredulously, hoping that Trucy hadn't convinced him to buy a parrot or something.

"My _employee_," he said, a little cockily. "He's a defence attorney, not to mention, Trucy's half-brother. He's officially employed by Wright Anything Agency."

I nodded, understanding. I supposed a defence attorney was a hell of a lot better than a bird.

"Anyway," Nick suddenly changed the subject. "You've got my life story. Now, what about you? What've you been doing in Kurain for seven years?" He leaned in towards me, apparently eager to hear my reply. I smiled, but sadness crept into the edges.

"I should warn you, my story's not as dramatic as yours," I joked. "Though, I suppose there are some twists in there, too."

He shifted in the chair, getting more comfortable. "Fire away. Nothing surprises me now," he said, showing his teeth when he beamed at me. I rolled my eyes in disbelief. He'd become really cocky since I saw him last. I wondered where all this self-confidence came from, considering he'd lost his job and gained a rather bossy daughter.

I began right after I had last seen him. "When I went back to Kurain, I had to tell everyone that the last Master – my mother – had died. Nobody else knew of this except Pearls and I. Everyone was devastated, but they insisted I became the new Master immediately. They'd gone too long without one. I was scared to disappoint them, so I agreed, not quite knowing what I was entering into.

"I trained for a long time to try and regain my spiritual power. I'd missed out on a lot of practice when I'd been running the office with you instead of sitting under waterfalls, so my ability was very low. It took me a long time to even channel the tamest of spirits then. Pearls, Mia and my mom, Misty, helped me, though. They all encouraged me to carry on, because I was sure by then that it was what I wanted. I eventually got most of my power back, but by then, the majority of Kurain had lost their respect for me. I think I had just failed to reach their expectations. I was so disappointed in myself, I would hardly even talk to anyone. Pearls got really worried about me, and tried to get some of the other women to help me. It was a kind thought, but all it really did was make me angry. Those women controlled my entire life. I wasn't allowed to do what I wanted, I had to get permission to do anything.

"The final straw was when someone mentioned to me about continuing the main family line. I had always assumed they'd want me to reproduce and all that, but I didn't think they would go so far as to find me a… What was it they called him?... A _suitable match_. Which, in plain English, means they arranged a marriage for me. I'd never even met the guy! I was so angry with them, all of them. I snuck out of the village that night, without even telling Pearly where I was going, and went and got myself ridiculously drunk in a bar." I decided to skip out the next part, both to avoid my own embarrassment and making Nick uncomfortable. "I don't remember much about that night, apart from waking up next to some random guy I didn't even know. I realised that I'd been really stupid to get so angry, and tried to forget about the whole thing. Nobody at Kurain even knew I'd gone anywhere. Unfortunately, fate wouldn't let me just forget that night, because two weeks later I missed a period, a week after that I took a pregnancy test, and now I've been thrown out of my home village. Which is pretty much why I'm sitting here on your couch." Phoenix was very still. I tried to mimic him, but the tears in my eyes threatening to spill over apparently had other ideas. My whole body suddenly buckled as I sobbed. Nick snapped out of his daze and scooted over on the sofa to hold me close to his chest while I cried.

"Hey, it's alright," he cooed. "You're here now, with your best friends. We'll take care of you," he promised. I almost smiled.

Later, when most of the tears had dried, sticking most of my hair to my face in the process, Nick sensed it was okay to talk again. He tucked one of many stray strands of hair behind my ear with one calloused hand. "They kicked you out?" he asked sadly.

I inhaled, then let out a low, drawn-out sigh. "Yeah. Apparently, it's against the rules to have 'illegitimate children'." I made speech marks in the air with my fingers. "I would have either had to abort, which was never really an option, or track down that guy and somehow get him to marry a freak like me." I laughed once.

Nick frowned. "You're not a freak, Maya." I scoffed. "Okay, maybe you're a little strange. But strange is _good_. It's individual. I should know; my daughter is the _definition _of strange."

I laughed, quietly enough so that I wouldn't wake the girls (who had fallen asleep hours ago). I felt my eyelids begin to droop, but didn't even bother to try and make my way towards my (well, _Nick's_) bed. I slept curled up in the arms of a man who I once would've called my hero; a man who had once known me better than I'd known myself; a man who, despite the fact I hardly knew him now, I trusted with my life. And that of my "foetus".

_A/N:__ Longest. Chapter. EVER._

_Don't get too excited, this will probably be the only one this long. I just didn't want to split it in two. :)_


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